Thir Violin

Q: My friend has an old violin marked ‘Georgius Thir Jr., Presburg, 1845.’ Can you give us a value?

A: Violin makers with the surname Thir worked in Presburg (now in Germany) and Vienna beginning in the mid 1700s. The value of the violin depends on the quality of the sound it produces and the condition of the instrument. Contact a musical instrument store in your area. Most of them employ experts or can refer you to an expert who will be able to judge the quality of your friend’s violin.